


An Afternoon In Elmira

by AsianTapWater



Category: Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Genre: M/M, Spoilers, World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:35:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28017072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsianTapWater/pseuds/AsianTapWater
Summary: Seven years before the events of 'The Great Gatsby', two men meet at a military camp in Elmira, New York.
Relationships: Nick Carraway/Jay Gatsby
Kudos: 25





	An Afternoon In Elmira

It was only seven years ago that Gatsby and I first met.  
America had recently entered the World War, and all men between 21 and 31 were drafted. I, being 22 at the time, was also recruited.  
It was at the training camp in Elmira that I first saw Gatsby.  
He was a young fellow, around the same age I was. He didn't stick out too much from the other men at camp. His hair was a dirty blonde streaked with dust and dirt, and his eyes were a musky blue-grey.  
But what made him stand out was that spark in his eyes, that determination and hope that never seemed to leave.  
It was at that moment I knew he was different from the rest.

A few hours after I arrived that day, it was lunchtime. Lunch was nothing special; mince pie, mush, chicken, and hardtack. It was almost flavorless, but it was a meal.  
I was about halfway done when a man walked up to me.  
"Mind if I sit here?"  
It was Gatsby--or at that time, just another man.  
"Sure," I looked up at him with a polite smile, which quickly disappeared as I realised I had mush covering my face.  
We sat for a minute in silence before he spoke.  
"Where you from, old sport?" Gatsby looked up at me, that spark in his eyes again.  
"Minnesota. How about you?"  
"Oh, what a coincidence! I'm from over in North Dakota."  
I moved my eyes to look at Gatsby, and caught sight of his tray. Officers ate better than us doughboys; roast beef, baked potatoes, pudding, and fresh-brewed coffee. Looking up at Gatsby, I saw the silver badge indicating his rank.  
"You're a lieutenant," I noted.  
"Sure am, old sport," Gatsby nodded. "You a private?"  
"Mhm. Got a long way to go until I reach where you are."  
We talked for a bit about our families and women. Gatsby didn’t talk too much about his life back home, but he did tell me a lot about Daisy.  
The bell rang a few minutes later.  
Gatsby stood up from the bench. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Private..."  
"Carraway. Nick Carraway." I held out my hand in a polite manner, which he firmly grasped and shook.  
"Well then, Private Carraway. I'm Lieutenant James Gatz. If you ever need me, I'll be with the Seventh Infantry. See you around, old sport." Gatsby waved at me as he walked away, that spark in his eyes getting brighter as he did.  
And that was the last I saw of him until that Summer in West Egg.


End file.
